Pay vs Place

Leeds vs Nottingham: buying or renting a home

A typical terraced house costs £22,500 (13%) more in Leeds than in Nottingham. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Nottingham: it takes 5.8× median annual pay, against 5.5× in Leeds.

Leeds, terraced
£202,500
Income typically needed: £40,500
Median full-time pay: £36,716
Nottingham, terraced
£180,000
Income typically needed: £36,000
Median full-time pay: £30,798

At a glance

Leeds Nottingham
Buying a home Fairly affordable Fairly affordable
Renting a home Expensive Expensive
Recorded crime Above average Above average

Buying rates the typical price of all homes against median pay; renting rates a year of average rent against median pay; crime rates recorded crime per resident against the England and Wales average.

What the numbers say

Median full-time pay in Nottingham (£30,798) is 16% lower than in Leeds (£36,716), while a typical terraced house costs 11% less (£180,000 against £202,500). Set against local pay, Leeds is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.

Buying a terraced house takes 5.5× annual pay in Leeds and 5.8× in Nottingham. Renting one takes 38% of pay in Leeds and 39% in Nottingham. Buying is harder in Nottingham; renting is about the same.

Across all property types and measured against pay, Leeds is the 114th least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Nottingham is the 92nd least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Leeds is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas and Nottingham is the 87th most expensive of 316 areas.

Someone on £40,000 in Leeds would need about £35,500 in Nottingham to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £34,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Nottingham would leave you better placed to buy. These figures compare housing costs only; they ignore other living costs and the pay you could earn in a new job.

Police recorded 114.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in Leeds and 124.9 in Nottingham, so recorded crime per resident is 9% higher in Nottingham. The biggest difference is in residential burglary: 13.0 per 1,000 in Leeds against 8.0 in Nottingham.

Can a typical earner buy?

Terraced house Leeds Nottingham
Median full-time pay £36,716 £30,798
House price ÷ pay 5.5× 5.8×
Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy 91% 86%
Rent a year as a share of median pay 38% 39%

Buying, by property type

Type Leeds Nottingham Difference
Detached £430,000 £310,000 -28% in Nottingham
Semi-detached £262,000 £210,000 -20% in Nottingham
Terraced £202,500 £180,000 -11% in Nottingham
Flat £150,000 £130,500 -13% in Nottingham

Renting, by property type

Type (average rent a month) Leeds Nottingham Difference
Detached £1,507 £1,306 -13% in Nottingham
Semi-detached £1,226 £1,060 -14% in Nottingham
Terraced £1,157 £993 -14% in Nottingham
Flat £905 £837 -8% in Nottingham

Crime

Police recorded 114.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in Leeds and 124.9 in Nottingham, so recorded crime per resident is 9% higher in Nottingham.

Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents Leeds Nottingham Difference
All recorded crime (excluding fraud) 114.6 124.9 +9% in Nottingham
Violence against the person 44.9 41.4 -8% in Nottingham
Sexual offences 4.4 5.2 +18% in Nottingham
Robbery 2.2 3.1 +42% in Nottingham
Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) 13.0 8.0 -38% in Nottingham
Vehicle offences 7.0 6.9 -1% in Nottingham
Theft from the person 1.3 2.1 +60% in Nottingham
Criminal damage and arson 8.5 11.7 +38% in Nottingham

Rates use resident population, so city centres and student areas show higher crime per resident than residents experience. Recorded crime also depends on reporting and police recording practice.

How prices have changed in each area

Average house price for all property types, indexed so that 2005 is 100. A line at 200 means prices have doubled.

Leeds: 181Nottingham: 178
House prices in Leeds and Nottingham since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Nottingham now 178.7510012515017520020052010201520202025House prices in Leeds and Nottingham since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Nottingham now 178.7510012515017520020102020
Show the figures
YearLeedsNottingham
2005100100
2006107103
2007114104
200811098
20099888
201010391
201110188
20129989
201310090
201410698
2015111103
2016119111
2017125119
2018130126
2019134129
2020139137
2021151153
2022165170
2023168176
2024171175
2025177178
12 months to July 2026181178

In 2005 the average home cost £135,425 in Leeds and £108,416 in Nottingham. Now it is £244,464 and £192,813: Leeds is up 81% and Nottingham is up 78%.

Buying a home against local pay, over time

Average house price divided by median full-time pay. Higher means harder to afford.

Leeds: 6.5 years of payNottingham: 6.3 years of pay
Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and NottinghamLeeds now 6.5, Nottingham now 6.3 years of pay.0×2×4×6×8×20052010201520202025Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and NottinghamLeeds now 6.5, Nottingham now 6.3 years of pay.0×2×4×6×8×20052010201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsNottingham
20056.1 years of pay5.3 years of pay
20105.7 years of pay4.5 years of pay
20155.7 years of pay5.0 years of pay
20206.2 years of pay5.9 years of pay
20256.5 years of pay6.3 years of pay

In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Leeds and 5.3 years in Nottingham. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 6.3 years.

Affordability has worsened more in Nottingham over that time.

How rents have changed in each area

Average monthly rent for all property types, indexed so that 2015 is 100.

Leeds: 151Nottingham: 167
Rents in Leeds and Nottingham since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Nottingham now 167.80100120140160180201620182020202220242026Rents in Leeds and Nottingham since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Nottingham now 167.80100120140160180201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsNottingham
2015100100
201698100
2017102102
2018104109
2019107115
2020112116
2021114119
2022125128
2023136138
2024145151
2025146162
August 2026151167

In 2015 the average rent was £758 a month in Leeds and £606 in Nottingham. Now it is £1,145 and £1,014: up 51% in Leeds and up 67% in Nottingham. Rents have risen faster in Nottingham.

What your salary is worth in each area

Salary needed to afford the same kind of home (terraced), going by median prices and average rents.

Moving from Leeds to Nottingham

Earning in Leeds Equivalent to buy in Nottingham Equivalent to rent in Nottingham
£30,000 £26,500 £25,500
£40,000 £35,500 £34,500
£50,000 £44,500 £43,000
£60,000 £53,500 £51,500

Moving from Nottingham to Leeds

Earning in Nottingham Equivalent to buy in Leeds Equivalent to rent in Leeds
£30,000 £34,000 £35,000
£40,000 £45,000 £46,500
£50,000 £56,500 £58,500
£60,000 £67,500 £70,000
Prices are medians for each property type over the last 12 months of registered sales; types with fewer than 100 sales in either area are left out. Rents are ONS averages for the area. Pay is the median for full-time employees living in the area, before tax. Income needed is illustrative: it assumes a 10% deposit and a lender willing to lend 4.5 times income. Real lending depends on your circumstances. Salary equivalents compare housing costs only, not other living costs, tax or the pay you could earn in a new job.

All Leeds figures · All Nottingham figures